J B Hands down my favorite bookstore around. This little shop is just off of Highway 331 in Defuniak in a converted house, and it’s darn near perfect. (Maps will take you right to it!)
They carry a combination of new and used books which are intermingled in such a way that the browser sees only the artful arrangement of books that the owner has created.Thanks to a clever sticker system, though, one can easily distinguish new from preloved. It doesn’t matter much, however, because the used books are in wonderful shape and are perfect additions to the selection.
That selection is deep and wide here, too, with a great combination of classics and new releases in soft and hard cover. If you have your heart set on something specific, they’ll even order it for you.
Scattered amongst the shelves of books are various spaces with beautiful gifts and walls full of art. The owner has chosen both original and high end reproductions from local artists that are, frankly, breathtaking and not the clicheed items one can become accustomed to seeing in towns near the beach.
This little shop is an hour out of the way for me with little else around it to draw me that direction, but I make the drive just for it. It really is worth it. Be sure to give it a try.
